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C. V. GRIMM.

'smm ENGINE VALVE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2 8. 1917.

1,303,055. Patented. May 6,1919.v

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C. V. GRIMM.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE.

APPLlCATiON mm MAY 23. 1911.

CLQQ LM C. V. GRIMM.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE.

ATION FILED m e UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

CI-IANOIA VERL GRIMM, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GRIMM BALANCE VALVE COMPANY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed May 28, 1917. Serial No 171,490.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OI-IANCIA V. GRIMM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Valves, of which the following is .a specification. i r

My invention relates to improvements in steam engine valves and ,more particularly valves of the type known as piston balance valves. h

The object of my invention is the production of a valve of the character mentioned which will permit of admission of steam from the steam chest of the engine to the cylinder with a rapidity far exceeding that of valves of the construction now generally in use. A furtherobject is the production of a valve as mentioned which Will be evenly balanced, one which will be provided with improved packing means to pre vent leakage; one which will be provided with improved means for guiding and supporting the valve so as to pcrmlt of the engine being run under a lower pressure of steam than is possible at the present time; and further, one whichwill be of durable andeeonomical construction and efficient in use. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in thelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to. the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a central horizontal section through a steam engine cylinder and cooperatingsteam chest equipped with a valve embodyingthe invention,

Fig. 2, a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, an enlarged 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4, a perspective view of the valve and housing therefor, the parts being so positioned' as to expose the interior construction of the housing,

Fig.*5, an elevation showing the rearward side of the port face, i

Fig. 6, a section taken on substantially line 66 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 7 an enlargedsection taken on substantially line 7- 7 of *Fig. 6.

section taken on line the respective ends of said cylinder.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawingsis designed for use in connection with a conventional steam engine cylinder 10 in which is mounted a reciprocatory piston 11. Upon one side of the cylinder 10 is provided the conventional steam chest 12. Formed in the side of the cyllnder 10 adjacent the steam chest are admission and exhaust passages 13 and 1a which communicate at their inner ends with The outer ends of passages 13 and 1a terminate in spaced ports 13 and 14 respectively between which is provided centrally the usual exhaust port 15,

I The valve mechanism forming the subject matter of this application is designed to control theports 13, 14: and 15, and comprises a housing 16 semi-circular in cross section, which housing consists of a port face or plate 17 and a semi-circular housing member 18. The members 17 and 18 are held in operative relation by means of pins 19 carried by the member 18 and which loosely engage in corresponding slots provided in the member 17 as clearly seen in Fig. 7. Said housing is securely held in operative position within the steam chest 21 by means of screws 20 which engage against the outer side of member 18, as seen i Fig. 1.

Formed in the port face 17 are ports 21, 22 and 23 which register respectively with the ports 13, 1 1' and 15. Projecting from the member 17 around the port 23 is a flange 24 which fits snugly in the outer end of exhaust port 15, said flange serving, as will be seen, to securely hold the port face against any relative shifting. At the same time said flange protects the edges of port 15 against wear, thus serving to maintain a tight connection between the parts. A tight connection between the port face and the adjacent flat side of the cylinder is further insured through the provision in the outer side of the port face of V-shaped packing grooves 25 in which a suitable packing may be provided in the assembly of the parts. Mounted for reciprocation in the housing 16 is a valve 26 of semi-circular form in cross section, the flat side of said valve being adapted to slide upon the port face 17 over the ports 21, 22 and 23 provided therein. Said valve 26 is of integral construction, the same being formed adjacent its ends with two spaced peripherally opening chambers 27 and 27 and an intermediate peripherally opening chamber 28. The chambers 27, 2'7 and 28 open in the periphery of the valve substantially completely circumferentially around the same, the only point at which the opening of these chambers in the periphery of the valve is interrupted, being centrally of the flat side of the valve or at a point where an opening 26 is formed through the valve for the accommodation of the valve rod 26 to which the valve is connected. The chambers 27 andv 27' are in open communication through a passage 29 formed in the valve extending longitudinally thereof as clearly seen in Figs. 3, 6 and 7.

Formed in the inner surface of the housing member 18 at the ends thereof are recesses 30 and 30 and formed in the port face 17 at corresponding points are recesses 31 and 31'. Also formed in the inner surface of the housing member 18 inwardly of the recesses 30 and 30 are two spaced circu-mferential series of recesses 32 and 32. Formed centrally in the housing 18 between the recesses 32 and 32 is a circumferentially extending series of recesses 33.

The arrangement is such that in the oper ation of the valve as the latter approaches one terminal of its movement, say for instance, the left terminal, as the port 14' is uncovered by the valve, the recesses 32 will also be uncovered so as to establish communication between the chamber 27 and the interior of the steam chest. Such chamber 27 is so positioned that at this time the same will be in registration with the port 14, thus permitting of admission to said port 1lthrough direct communication with the interior of the steam chest, as results through uncovering of said port, and also through the medium of the chamber 27. At the same time that the port 14 and the re cesses 32 are being uncovered, the port 27 will be brought into registration with the recesses 30 and 31 thereby establishing communication between said chamber and the interior of the steam chest. Steam admitted to chamber 27 through recesses 3.0 and 31 will pass through the passage 29 to the chamber 27 whence the same will pass into port 1st. Thus, it will be seen that with this arrangement, a construction is provided whereby steam Will be taken at both ends of the valve simultaneously for admission to the intake or admission port ofthe cylinder. The multitudinous avenues of admission of steam around the periphery of the valve and at both ends for delivery 'to the intake port of the cylinder, results in delivery of steam to the cylinder with a maximum rapidity. At the same time that steam is being admitted to the port 14: the port 1% will be in communication with the exhaust port 15 through registration of said ports with the chamber 28 of the valve. The opposite ends of the construction are similar, so that as the valve moves to the other terminal of its stroke, steam will be admitted in a corresponding manner to the port 14: and exhausted from port 14 as seen in Fig. 1.

To insure a tight connection, packing members 3.4; are provided which are seated in grooves provided for the reception thereof in the curved periphery of the valve. Under said packing members are formed elongated chambers 35. to which the steam under pressure of the steam chest will be admitted through passages 36 as clearly seen in Fig. 6. The steam thus admitted to the chambers 35. will cause the packing members 3 1 to be pressed outwardly against the inner surface of housingmember 18, this insuring an absolutely tight connection. The edges of the valve adjacent the packing members 34 are beveled as seen and the flat side of the valve is correspondingly beveled or stepped so as to secure opening and closing of coordinating ports and recesses at the same time.

Secured to the inner side of the port face 17 substantially midway between the upper and lower edges thereof is a horizontally ex tending tongue or flange 37, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 7. Said tongue 37, transversely, is inclined upwardly, and formed in the 0011- tiguous face of the valve is a groove 38 of corresponding form for snug engagement with said tongue. An effective guide and support for the valve is thus provided which will relieve the under side of the valve housing of the extremely great pressure to which the same is ordinarily subjected especially when the engine is running under a low head of steam. The tendenc of the valve of course is to rock outward y and downwardly away from the port face so that in valves of the construction in use at the present time,

great difficulty is experienced in maintaining a tight connection between the valve and the port face. With ap licants construction involving a tongue w ich, transversely, is upwardly inclined, the valve will be effectively supported and securely held in close engagement with the port face, relieving the under side of the valve housing of the pressure and wear to which the same is otherwise subjected, as above mentioned. The provision of guiding and supporting means as men tioned also results in a smooth and light running valve, eliminating unevenness of wear upon the valve. In order to reinforce the port face, the latter may, if desired, be provided at its rearward side with reinforcing under ribs 39,- as seen in Figs. 1 and 6.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without depart- .ing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a steam engine cylinder having two spaced ports each communicating with one end thereof, and a cooperating steam chest, of a slidably mounted valve controlling admission to and exhaust from said cylinder ports; a housing for said valve openin at its ends into said steam chest; means for simultaneously taking steam at both ends of said valve, as the latter approaches either terminal of its movement, for admission to either port of said cylinder, said means comprising two spaced chambers provided in said valve opening around the entire periphery thereof and adapted to register with one of said cylinder ports at the same time the port is uncovered by the valve; passages for establishing communication between the steam chest and either of said chambers as the chamber is in registration with a cylinder port; passages in said housing for establishing communication be tween either of said chambers and said steam chest as the other chamber is in registration with one of said cylinder ports, said passages forming by-passes around the ends of the steam to the cylinder; and an inclosed pas sage in said valve establishing open com munication only between said chambers, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a vertically disposed port face; a controlling valve horizontally slidable upon said port face; means for guiding and supporting said valve, said means comprising an elongated horizontally extending tongue on said port face, said tongue, transversely, being inclined upwardly; and a groove in said valve formed to snugly engage with said tongue, substantially as described.

' 3. The combination of a vertically disposed port face; a. controlling valve horizontally slidable upon said port face; means for guiding and supporting said valve, said means comprising an elongated horizontally extending tongue on said port face substantially midway between the upper and lower edges of said face, said tongue, transversely, being inclined upwardly; and a groove in said valve formed to snugly engage with said tongue, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHANGIA VERL GRIMM.

WVitnesses CLAUDE E. FRITZ, CHAS. W. Dmrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

